Giving the gift of a kidney

Thomas Morgan, 23, of Minneapolis doesn't take friendship lightly. Last week, he gave Gary Bozicevich, 26 - his friend of less than a year - one of his kidneys during a transplant operation at HCMC in Minneapolis.

By
David Joles

March 20, 2011 — 11:53am

David Joles, Dml - Star TribuneThomas Morgan, 23, of Minneapolis doesn't take friendship lightly. Last week, he gave Gary Bozicevich, 26 - his friend of less than a year - one of his kidneys during a transplant operation at HCMC in Minneapolis. Bozicevich, of Bloomington, developed a rare kidney disease at age 17 and his kidneys had failed and he was on dialysis. "We have a lot of similarities, a lot of stuff in common," said Morgan, adding that he shared the same O blood type that would be necessary for him to donate a kidney to his friend. "I'm pretty generous," Morgan said, describing the trait that he developed with help from his mentor at Big Brothers and from his mom, who was a single mother. "I think of others before I think of myself all the time." Doctors told Morgan, a gas station worker and restaurant prep cook, to expect to miss a month or more of work, but four days after the surgery he was already talking about going back to work cooking. A few days after the surgery Bozicevich said that despite the pain and grogginess he was feeling he was already "feeling better than I did on my best day of dialysis." "I have no regrets," Morgan said about giving a kidney to his friend. In this photo:] Morgan, left, waves to Bozicevich moments before he was taken off to donate one of his kidneys to his friend.

Last week, he gave Gary Bozicevich, 26 - his friend of less than a year - one of his kidneys during a transplant operation at HCMC in Minneapolis.

Bozicevich, of Bloomington, developed a rare kidney disease at age 17 and his kidneys had failed and he was on dialysis. "We have a lot of similarities, a lot of stuff in common," said Morgan, adding that he shared the same O blood type that would be necessary for him to donate a kidney to his friend.

"I'm pretty generous," Morgan said, describing the trait that he developed with help from his mentor at Big Brothers and from his mom, who was a single mother. "I think of others before I think of myself all the time."

Doctors told Morgan, a gas station worker and restaurant prep cook, to expect to miss a month or more of work, but four days after the surgery he was already talking about going back to work cooking.

A few days after the surgery Bozicevich said that despite the pain and grogginess he was feeling he was already "feeling better than I did on my best day of dialysis."